On September 5th, 2020, volunteers of the Raritan Valley Branch returned to Frost Woods park. We were here about one month ago and picked up more litter than we expected. We came back this time to check on the areas that we did not get to cover last time.
Compared to the mylar balloons we found last time, more drink bottles hidden inside the bushes by the walking path and plastic bags embedded in the ground were discovered along the trails. Oftentimes we had to find our way into the bushes in order to reach the empty bottles, or dig little by little to remove the plastic bags out of the ground. Apparently, these bottles/plastic bags had been left there long without decomposing. It is concerning to think about what nature will look like with more and more plastic waste piling up on earth. We learned firsthand again the importance of using biodegradable materials and at least reusing plastics before we could be plastic-free. By the time we were finished for the day, we felt satisfied knowing we cleaned up after human acts and restored natural order at Frost Woods park for now. We intend to help keep it this way.
Volunteers: Benjamin Hong (1.5 hrs), Tarun Sivakumar (1.5 hrs), Amy Xu (1.5 hrs), Kevin Xu (1.5 hrs), Alicia Xu (1.5 hrs), Jessica Hong (1.5 hrs)